Good Morning Britain viewers expressed disappointment on Thursday after tuning in to find Ben Shephard absent from the presenting line-up. Instead, Adil Ray and Ranvir Singh were at the helm of the ITV breakfast programme, prompting some to question why the expected 'Ben day' had been changed.
The show has seen a rotating roster of presenters in recent weeks, and Thursday's pairing led some fans to speculate that ITV was "running out of staff". One viewer wrote on Twitter: "So looks like @GMB #GMB running out of staff Martin, Ben now Adil. Whoops nearly forgot Richard so is it different tomorrow too Susanna, Kate, Ranvir, Charlotte." Another added: "WTF Is Adil doing in the studio?? It's a #BenDay. Thursday Ruined #GMB Over to #BBCBreakfast."
However, other viewers welcomed the change, praising the diversity of the presenting duo. One said: "A real mix of diversity presenting on #GMB this morning, news reader needs a bit more practice but… Well done @ITV." Another commented: "GMB two great presenters on today, making my day."
Although Ben was missing from the breakfast show, he had appeared on This Morning earlier in the week to support his friend and Ninja Warrior UK co-star Chris Kamara, who opened up about his speech disorder apraxia. Ben described Chris as a "national treasure" and compared going out with him to "going out with Justin Bieber", adding: "You can't go anywhere without people stopping him for photographs or pictures."
